


Leave While I'm Not Looking

by KayKel108



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, FitzSimmons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-02 08:28:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5241602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayKel108/pseuds/KayKel108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set sometime towards the end of season 3.  Fitz saves Will, destroys the last portal, and earns a top spot among S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.  All of the accolades his gains does little to help him forget what he lost in the process.  Putting his feelings for Jemma aside was necessary to save her boyfriend.  Sacrificing his last chance for her leaves him questioning his entire future with S.H.I.E.L.D.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drowning

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I'm working on instead of term papers because Fitzsimmons is obviously far more painful and important.
> 
> Lots of angst. This ship kills me.

                The room felt like a vacuum.  One second he was breathing and the next it felt like the air had been sucked from his lungs.  He had felt like this once before. He felt the shock of ice water hitting his skin and gasping for air, only to remember that he was at the bottom of the ocean.  He remembered that his last thought was that she’d be so mad when she made it.  She’d hate him for doing that to her, but that was fine.  If you could hate someone, it meant you were alive.

          Leo Fitz had been through a lot in the last few years, namely that one time he almost drowned and spent nine days in a coma.  He found himself thinking that he would’ve much preferred that to what he was enduring now.  Because he was drowning again.  But the pain never left.  When you drown, after so long without air, your brain shuts down and it stops hurting.  He can’t breathe, but nothing is shutting down.  Nothing will give him a break.

          He watches the people pass by him, patting him on the back, congratulating him.  He hears Coulson tell him that he ordered a cage for whatever monkey he wanted, because he deserved it.  He smiles and says whatever they need him to in order to reassure them that he’s fine, that he’s not drowning. 

          He should be celebrating.  He had done what Hydra had tried to do for over a thousand years, and he did it twice in seven months.  He brought Jemma back from another universe.  And then he did it again.

          Fitz listens attentively as Coulson tells him he’s been promoted a level.  He waits to be dismissed from his office after another pat on the back and then heads towards his bunk.  Everyone else is sitting in the common room, waiting for Will’s physical to be over so they can meet him.  He doesn’t need to do that.  They’ve already met, when he pulled him through the portal before Daisy destroyed it.  He watched Jemma cry from relief at the sight of her astronaut boyfriend returning to her.  It was too much.  Everything was too much for Fitz.

          So, instead of dealing with the too much that had quickly become his life, he was packing.  The life he had somehow ended up in was dangerous and it was draining.  Every day was a brand new opportunity to die.  He’d be shot at, chased, left for dead.  He drowned.  He gave his heart to someone that didn’t want it and he needed to try and get it back.  He wanted a new life, one that didn’t involve Jemma Simmons.  He needed it, despite the shiver that went through his whole body at the thought of a world without her.  He had just gotten her back.

 

           He sighed and sat down on his bed, running his hands over his growing stubble.

           “What are you doing, Fitz?”

           His head shot up at her voice, pulling him from his thoughts.  He stood and crossed his arms, “Daisy, please just go back to the party.”

           She crossed her own arms, her stance reflecting his and asked again, “What are you doing?”

           He sighed, knowing there was no point in lying to her, she could always see through it, “I’m leaving, okay.  I got Will back, we saved the world, again.  I need a break.”

          “Do you need a break from work? Or from Jemma?” She cut straight to the point, as always.

          “She doesn’t need me anymore.  I’ll always be her friend, but she has Will now.  He’s great. Smart. Kind.  She’ll be fine without me.  I need to go and learn how to be fine too.” He answered truthfully.

          She stepped inside his bunk and slide the door closed so no one would hear them, “That’s bullshit and you know it, Fitz.  You’re giving up!”

          “Yes!” he raised his voice, “That’s exactly what I’m doing, Skye!  You’ve known us for years now.  You know as well as anyone how long we’ve had to make something happen.  She had months, MONTHS, to say something after I told her how I felt and she didn’t.”

          Daisy shook her head, “It’s not as simple as that.  You were best friends, it’s a huge step.”

          Fitz was quiet for a moment, zipping up his duffle bag, “You want to know what is simple.  What’s simple is that it was years before she considered going on a single date with me.  She fell for him in weeks. There’s nothing left to talk about.”

          He threw his bag over his shoulder and walked past her out of his room and towards the doors.

          Daisy followed closely behind, “She thought they were going to be stuck together forever, Fitz.  She thought she’d never see you again.”

          He stopped and turned towards her, “I love you and how much you care, but I am done talking about this.  I’m going.  I need a fresh start.”

          “You love this job.”  She returned sadly.

          He shrugged, “I loved her more.”

He turned and punched in the code to open the doors.  As they opened her turned back to her and pulled her in for a hug. They stood like that for a second before she spoke.

          “Coulson’s gonna be so pissed.  He just ordered that monkey cage for you.”

          Fitz chuckled, “I’ll miss you too.”

          He released her and stepped out of the door, “Hey, do me a favor.”

          “Anything. What?" She responded.

          He took a deep breath, looking out at the car waiting for him, “Tell them whatever you want to about me leaving.  Tell them I’m exhausted, that I missed my family, I don’t care.  Just don’t tell her the truth.  Tell her I’m okay, that I understand.”

          “Fitz..”

          He cut her off as the doors were closing, “You said anything.”

 

 

He left her standing in the cargo docks, wishing she had decided to take a nap instead of checking on him.

          “Damn it.”

Daisy spun around towards the voice behind her, finding Bobbi leaning against a box of cargo.

          “Yeah.” Daisy lifted herself up on the box and sat down, “What all did you hear?”

          “Oh, you know, just everything from before you closed his bunk door and then everything after you left the room.”

Daisy smiled despite the circumstances, “Then you know no one is going to believe for a second he’s just exhausted.  He didn’t even go home after he almost died at the bottom of the ocean.”

          “You talking about Fitz leaving?”

Both girls turn to see May walking towards them.

          “How’d you know?” Bobbi asked.

          She shrugged, “Saw him get in the car from the window upstairs.  How long before Simmons finds out?”

          Daisy ran a hand through her hair, “I’m not sure it matters when she finds out.  I mean, she’ll feel guilty and she’ll miss him, but she chose Will.  Fitz leaving doesn’t change that.”

          “Did she?”  May countered.

          “Did she what?”

          “Did she say she chooses Will?”

          Bobbi tilted her head, “I don’t get the question.  Of course she did.  She’s been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all day checking on him and doing things for him.”

          “So? She did that when you got shot.”  May pointed at Daisy, “And when you got shot.  When you came back after turning all rock.  When you found out you were inhuman.  That’s what she does for people she cares about.  It was different with Fitz.  She was too still.  Too quiet.  Like she was scared that if she made the wrong move or said the wrong thing, he’d just disappear.”

          Daisy tapped her fingers along the box, thinking about those horrible days, “She didn’t move from the chair next to his bed.  She didn’t sleep, eat, nothing.”

          “And when he woke up..”

          Daisy stood up on the box and began pacing, “And when he woke up she was beyond useless!  She kept finishing his sentences when she knew he needed to do it himself.  She literally went to work for Hydra to get away from him because she couldn’t help him.”

          May crossed her arms, “You think she would’ve left you?”

          She shook her head, “She would’ve figured out a way to help and if she couldn’t help me, she’d find something else to do that could.”

          Bobbi spoke up, “The idea that she could lose him after barely getting him back was too much for her.”

          May finished her initial thought, “She loves him.  She may have feelings for Will.  I don’t pretend to know, but I can see it written all over her that she loves Fitz.”

          Daisy jumped off the box, still pacing, “Okay.  But, he told me to let him go.  He wanted a fresh start and to move on from her.  I can’t just ignore that.”

          “Maybe you can’t, but I sure as hell can.” Lance dropped down off of the landing connected to one of their jets. 

          “Jesus, Hunter!  I didn’t realize this was a team chat.” Daisy responded.

          He shrugged and continued, “She loves him, even if she doesn’t realize it yet, he obviously loves her.  Why is this so bloody difficult?  They both deserve to at least have a real bloody conversation about it!”

 

They’re all quiet for a moment, considering his point, before the fifth voice joins into their conversation.

          “Who deserves to have a conversation?”

They all pause and slowly turn to face Jemma, who had just rounded the corner into the room.

          Bobbi looked at everyone and then back at Jemma.  Realizing no one was going to jump at the question, she sighed and spoke, “Fitz left.  He’s gone.  We don’t know where to. Coulson probably has an official resignation email already on his computer.  He said he wanted a fresh start, one without you, and Daisy and Hunter were debating whether or not to tell you the truth or tell you what he asked her to.  While they debated that, I decided to tell you, because I would have wanted to know.”

          Jemma stood there for a long time.  Long enough to make everyone shift uncomfortably, even May, before finally speaking up, “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

 

She turned and walked back around the corner towards the medical station.  Daisy ran after her.

          "Jem, wait!”

          Jemma spun around, “Were you really going to lie to me?  Were you going to tell me that he was visiting his parents? That he was coming back?  That he just needed breathing room from everything? What were you going to say!?”

          Daisy grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug.  Watching a second best friend fall apart was two friends too many for one day, “Hey, don’t freak out.  You’re freaking out.  I’m sorry.  I don’t know what I would’ve said to be honest.  He asked me to help him and if you had seen him you’d understand.”

          Jemma pulled back, “What do you mean?”

         She looked down, “I’ve never seen someone’s eyes look so defeated.  He’s done.  Jem, I know you care about him, more than any of us know, but if it’s not a life-changing, I can’t imagine me without you kind of love, let him go.  He loves you.  I don’t know if he’s ever told you, but it’s written all over his face every time he looks at you, and if you can’t return that kind of love, just let him move on.  He doesn’t deserve anything less.”

         Jemma took another step back and wiped the tears from her cheeks.  She took a deep, shaky breath and replied, “I’ve got to go.”

         “Where are you going?”

         Jemma bit her lip for a second, trying to find the right words before answering, “Have you ever kissed someone and it felt like… I don’t know, like you could do everything else wrong for the rest of your life and it wouldn’t matter, because at least you got this right?”

         Daisy was taken off guard by the question for a moment, but answered, “Um.. yes I think so.  Once.  Why?”

         “Because I’ve had that kiss.  And it was a life-changing, I can’t imagine me without you kind of moment.  And it wasn’t with Will.”  She paused before adding, “So, I’ve got to go.”

         Daisy nodded quickly, a smile slowly forming, “Yeah, go!”

 

 

Daisy watched her friend disappear down the hallway, probably heading towards a hard conversation with a very nice astronaut.  She tried to dim down the perma-grin on her face as she stepped three or four steps backwards, bringing Bobbi, Hunter, and May into clear view as they leaned against the adjacent hallway wall.

          Hunter held up his arms and spoke, “I think I speak for everyone when I say, although unintentionally, we totally brought Fitzsimmons back together.  Who said loud arguing couldn’t bring people together? And on that fine, fine note, I also say that we all deserve a drink.”

Smiling and nodding in agreement, they headed towards the kitchen.  Daisy looked back down the hallway Jemma had gone down.  She knew her friend was strong enough to handle whatever she was about to face.  She just hoped whatever she plans on doing, she does it quickly.


	2. I am a full grown man, I have a beard!

The plane ride seemed longer than he remembered.  Stepping off the plane in Manchester, he immediately felt the dreary English weather hit him.  He took a deep breath, letting the reality sink in that he was really gone.  The Playground felt like another life as he looked around the familiar surroundings.  It wasn’t Scotland, but he wasn’t ready for that yet.  His mother would have more questions than he could possibly answer.  He hadn’t seen her in person in over two years.  No, he needed to work his way towards that.  He also needed a place to sleep and food to eat.  He’d start with that.

 

Fitz knew why he’d chosen Manchester Airport out of all of the airports in England.  He wasn’t ready for his mother, but he wanted a familiar face, however foolish it seemed.  As his cab pulled up to the cottage, he cursed himself for thinking this was ever a good idea.

He knocked before he could change his mind. The door swung open after a few seconds and he immediately remembered why he decided to do this.

“Fitz!  What the hell, man!  What are you doing here?!” A 6’2” grizzly bear of a human being grabbed the scientist from his porch and maneuvered him into a head lock, “It's been too long, science man.”

“Ow.  Josh.  Ow!  I am a full grown man, I have a beard!” Fitz said, trying to free himself from his friend’s grasp.

Josh laughed and let go, “You always be that nerdy kid who never ate enough at Christmas.”

“I didn’t want to impose.” Fitz countered as he smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt.

Josh grabbed Fitz’s bag and threw it on the couch, not bothering to actually invite him in, “You want a beer?  Something to eat?  Caroline’s still at work.  She's gonna freak when she sees you.  Just asked about you the other day, actually.”

“Oh yeah?” Fitz answered, distractedly, as he looked at some of the pictures on the wall.  He pointed to the black and white photograph hanging by the staircase, “I cannot believe Maisy is that big already.”

Josh came out of the kitchen with two beers, nodding in agreement, “Yeah, they do that when you don’t see them for a few years.  Acts just like Jemma, that one.  More trouble than she’s worth if you ask me.”

Fitz smiles at the joke, though the truth of it hits a little close to home, and takes the beer, “Thanks man.  Sorry for just showing up out of the blue.  I was.. in the neighborhood.”

“Uh huh.  Okay.  Look, you’ve only got about fifteen minutes to tell me what's actually going on before Caroline gets home and you start lying to keep her from worrying.”

Fitz raised his eyebrows as he took a swig from his Guinness.  He motions for them to sit.

“Jemma is fine.  I guess I should start with that.”

Josh nodded, “But you’re not?”

Fitz let out an amused breath, “You don’t miss a beat there, Joshua.”

He laughed, “I may not have that big brain of my sister’s, but your face doesn’t hide whatever is going on very well.  You look like shit.  What happened?”

“It’s a long story.  You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, and even if you would, it’s--”

“Classified?  Yeah, I'm sure. Just give me the dumbed down version I’m allowed to hear.  You didn’t fly across the world for a head lock and a good beer.”

“I might’ve.”

“Fitz, you came to vent.”

He huffed, “Yeah, I know.  Okay, … Last year, there was an accident that led to your sister and me facing a dire situation.  There was a way out, but only for one of us.”

Josh leaned forward, “Damn. And?”

“And I told her she had to take it, no questions.  She asked me why I would make her do that, that I was her best friend and there was no way she would leave me.  I told her that she was more than that to me and that I never told her so I wanted to show her.”

“AND?”

Fitz smiled at her brother’s excitement over being let in to the loop, even just a little bit.  He supposed maybe he could answer a few of his mother’s questions.

“And then I pressed a button and I drowned and she didn’t.”

Josh stood up and paced to the other side of the living room and then back to his seat, “Leo, man.  You told my sister you loved her.  And then you sacrificed your life for hers and you somehow made it.  But you're here, so the story takes a bad turn, obviously.  Oh shit.  Okay, sorry.  Continue.”

Fitz took another swig from his bottle, “I was in a coma for nine days and woke up with brain damage.  And then she left on a mission, but she told me she came home to visit your parents.  She was gone for a while.  She came back.  It was awkward.”

Josh shook his head, “This is a horrible story.  No ups, all downs.  Find a different version to tell Caroline or I’ll have to deal with those emotions long after you leave.”

Fitz laughed, “It’s not all bad.  She ended up telling me she wanted to talk about what I said to her when I got back from a mission.”

“No she did not!  Right before you head off on a spy mission?”

“I’m not exactly a spy, Josh.  I’m a scientist.” Fitz countered.

Josh waved his hand, “You’re a spy.  Keep going, I won’t interrupt anymore for the rest of the time.  Promise.”

Fitz chuckled and nodded before continuing, “I said there was nothing to talk about, she said maybe there was.  I made it back.  I asked her to go on a date.  She agreed.  Then, oh.. how do I tell the rest of this story?  I can’t use any.. hold on.”

Fitz thought for a few moments before continuing, “Okay, the outcome of this is the truth, but the situation is relatively false.  Okay, so Jemma was abducted by very bad guys and thrown into a desert all alone.  Everyone thought she had been killed.  She was alive and there was someone else in the desert that had already been there.  I found her and saved her.  Jemma told me she had to go back to save the man she fell in love with while in the desert.  So I went back and I got him, because he kept her safe all that time, I had to.  And so long story short, I had a chance with your sister and instead I personally delivered her lost boyfriend to her.”

Josh sat in silence, contemplating all the things he wished were socially acceptable to do and say to someone so stupid.

“You need more beer.” was what he finally decided on.

Fitz just leaned back on the couch and nodded.

Josh called from the kitchen, “You can stay as long as you want.  But, Mom and Dad will literally kill me if they find out you’re here and don't see them before you go.”

“Believe me, I know.  I just didn’t know who else to talk to about everything.  I’ll tell them I got a two week leave and wanted to stop by before seeing my Mom.”

Josh came and sat back down, “Is that the truth?  Are you on leave, or?”

“I quit.  I tried really hard for about thirteen minutes to be okay with him being there and her being so freaking happy to see him and I just snapped.  I don’t know. It’s actually a little blurry.  I walked passed the med station and she didn’t even see me and I just kept walking.  Straight to my bunk.  Packed my things, said bye to Skye and I left.  Resigned via email on the way to the airport.”

Josh rubbed his hand over his auburn beard, “Damn, Fitz.  When she finds out you left, which I’m sure she has by now, she’s going to freak.”

Fitz shrugged his shoulders, “She’ll be mad I didn’t tell her I was leaving, but Will is a great guy.  She’ll be fine.”

“You’re an idiot if you think this won’t destroy her.  Maybe she does love the guy, I don’t know.  What I do know is that you are the most important man in her life, and that’s coming from her big brother, who knows how much she loves Dad.  You being gone, and not even saying goodbye, she’ll be pissed.” Josh responded.

Fitz stood up, “What was I supposed to do?  Sit around and watch her being with someone else knowing good and well it should be me!  I know what I lost by bringing him back, I don’t need the daily reminder!”

Josh stood up as well and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “I’m not saying you needed to stay.  If you think there was really nothing left to discuss, that’s fine.  I was simply trying to say that she’s going to call here sometime relatively soon and she’ll know you’re here and she'll be upset.”

Fitz tilted his head, “Um, why?”

He pointed toward the picture of his daughter, “She always calls Maisy when she’s upset or stressed, you know that.  She hasn’t called in about seven months, now I’m seeing why.  We got a few emails saying that she would call when she got done with her mission.  I’m guessing that was you.”

He shook his head, “Skye.  She thought she was gone, but told me she’d keep it up until I was done looking for her.”

Josh squeezed his shoulder, “Thank you for finding my little sister. I don't know what I would do if I lost her.”

Fitz nodded, “Of course.”

 

The door swung open to a very pregnant Caroline Simmons carrying a load of groceries and a five year old.

“I will be extremely surprised and delighted to see you after you grab one or both of the items in my arms.”  She said, grinning at Fitz.

Fitz moved to grab Maisy as she leapt from her mother’s arms into his, “Fitz!!”

“Maisy!!” he answered with the same enthusiasm she had, “You are so old.  You aren’t a baby anymore are you?”

She grinned and replied, “I’m five!”

“Five!!? I don’t believe it!  I’ve missed you, chicken.” He hugged her tightly.

She returned the hug, “You too, duck.”

He laughed as he sat her down and she took off towards the kitchen for a snack.

Caroline held out her arms, “My turn.”

He embraced the large woman, smiling at how at home he felt, “She really has grown.  She wouldn’t know me from Adam if it wasn’t for Skype.”

“Yeah well, you and Jemma have been a little busy lately.  Where the heck is my sister, by the way?  And why are you here? Not that I mind.”

He glanced at Josh and then answered, “I got leave for a couple of weeks, but she was in the middle of some important advancements in the lab, so she stayed behind.  She sends her love.”

He hoped his confident tone and smile would be enough.  She eyed him for a long second before opening her mouth to question the story.

Instead of calling him out on the load of BS he had spewed, the phone rang.

She pointed her finger at him, gesturing that she was not done with this conversation and picked up the phone, “Hello.”

…

“Well today is just full of surprises!”  She glanced over at Fitz, “It’s nice of you to finally call.  Your mother has been worried sick, not hearing your voice for so long.”

…

“Yes, I know it’s your job, but you could make it home occasionally.”

…

“Yes it is that simple.  If Fitz can be standing in front of me, there is no reason on this earth that you can’t be.  Simple as that.”

Fitz winced and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

Caroline looked at him in confusion and then to her husband, who was also shaking his head and then back at the phone.

…

“Yes he’s here. I’m sure he wants to speak to you, weirdo… Yes, he’s right in front of me.”

Fitz holds his hands out and backs up, violently shaking his head.

“Of course you can.”  She smiled as she held out the receiver.

 

 

Fitz snatched the phone with a clenched jaw and a forced smile and held the phone up to his ear.

“Jemma.”

“Leo, what the hell are you doing!?  Just up and quitting with no conversation, no goodbye. You just left." She paused before adding quietly, "You left me behind.” Her voice cracking on the last word.

Fitz looked at the smiling little girl looking up at him from the table and at Josh and Caroline, who were clearly having a silent conversation with their eyes and answered, “Yeah, the flight was good, no turbulence, I kept thinking that you would’ve actually been able to read on that one.”

“Fitz… please talk to me.  I know things have been hard, so hard, for you and us but you always talk t--”

Fitz nodded, gripping the phone tighter, “No, the tools to the left of the second computer can be sent back down to the garage.  I’m sorry, I meant to do that before I left.”

Jemma put a hand over her mouth, closing her eyes before responding to him, “I’m guessing they don’t know why you’re there.  I don’t know why you’re there.  I just want to have a real conversation, Leo.  Please.  You left before I could--”

“I know I didn’t tell you I was coming to see your family beforehand.  I was just at the airport and I picked the place that felt most like home.  That’s why I’m here.  I left without saying goodbye because you’re busy with Will and he just got there and I’m sure you want to spend time with him.  It’s not like it's a big deal, Jem. I'm perfectly capable of surviving without you so stop worrying.  Listen, I’ve already taken what I’m sure is a solid amount of Maisy’s phone call, so I’m going to let you go.” He paused for a second and then added, “Goodbye, Jemma.”

“Fitz, please just wait one second and let me--”

He walks over and hands the phone to the excited child.

“Aunt Jemma!”  He hears as he walks out the back door to sit on the steps.

He was soon followed by Caroline, who took a seat next to him.  She patted his leg and he looked over at her.  She started, “You and Jemma almost got your shit together.  Now she’s with that guy named Will.  And I just made you talk to her.  That’s my bad.  I should've minded my own business.”

He shrugged, “It’s fine.  I’m just not ready for that particular conversation yet.  Tomorrow, I’m going to get up and see Mr. and Mrs. S and then I’ll head for the train station.  They’d kill me if I didn’t see them while I was in town.”

She nodded, “You’re right about that.  You know you always have a guest bed here.  Granted, in a few months it’ll just be the guess couch, but still.”

He grinned and put his arm around her, “You and Josh…two kids. A house. A car. You’re so settled.  It’s weird.”

“Well when you met us, you were eighteen and we were twenty and had just started dating.  What’s weird is not seeing that pasty little nerd with the mini afro and bad shoes when I look at you.”

“Okay.  Too far.  My feelings are hurt.”  He laughed.

She did too, but then continued, “Settled isn’t all that bad, Fitz.  You’re closer to thirty than twenty now.  You’re out of “government” work.  You can do whatever you want.  What’s your next move?”

He propped his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands, “Before everything with Jemma went so wrong, I kind of saw a life like this, to be honest.  That's what I wanted my next move to be. Now, I think I just want to be not sad anymore. My next move is to be able to breath again.”

Caroline wiped a few tears from her cheeks, “Damn these pregnancy hormones.  You look at me you beautiful Scottish butterfly, you will not be sad forever." He laughed at how right Josh was when he said to be careful of her emotions. She continued, "What you need is a good meal and a solid night’s to clear your mind, yeah?”

He nodded in agreement, “Yeah.”

She stood up and then leaned down to kiss the top of his head, “We love you, Fitz.  You said you came here because it felt like home.  Know that it’ll always be that for you, no matter what happens with Jemma.”

“Thanks, Car.”

 

He sat out on their back steps for a while longer, watching the fireflies.  He needed his friends and he was glad he had come, but it was beyond reckless for a heart desperate to move on.  He’d try harder tomorrow to leave her behind.  But tonight, he was content to reminisce on the times they had played charades in that living room or had tea sitting on the front porch swing.  The time she fell asleep on him right where he was sitting after one too many glasses of wine.  He didn’t believe in ghosts, but he was close to considering that if it was possible to be haunted by someone alive, he was sure she’d always be with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She does have a brother, I looked it up! Her family is all unnamed, so I just made his up.


	3. I Forgot What We Were Talking About

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short fic. I'm sure how many chapters it will end up being. But I do know it's going to get a lot angstier before it gets better. I'm sorry ahead of time.

Jemma sat in her bunk, staring at her phone, trying to comprehend what just happened.  She had never heard Fitz sound so disconnected to her, so cold.  Throughout everything that happened since he brought her back, from telling him about Will and asking him to help her bring him back, to yelling at him for not being angry, he stayed calm.  He pushed whatever he was feeling aside because she needed his help.  He had been her rock and the steadying hand she needed every single day that she’s known him. 

Jemma sat in her bunk, staring at her phone, trying to comprehend how she had managed to break such a beautiful human being.

 

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts.

“Yeah, come in.”

Mack ducked down through her door frame, “Hey, Simmons.”

She was surprised by his visit.  They weren’t exactly the best of friends, not that they didn’t get along.  They just got off on the wrong foot she supposed.

“Mack, what can I do for you?”  She returned with a smile, gesturing towards her desk chair as an invitation to sit.

He clasped his hands together and sat down, “Um.  Actually, I just wanted to check in on you.  See how you were holding up.  You alright?”

Full of surprises, Mack was.

“I uh… No.  Not really.”  She answered truthfully, “I don’t know what I’m doing or what I’m supposed to do.  Anytime I’ve been at a loss about something, I’d just ask Fitz.”

“And he left you.”

She inhaled sharply, “Yes.  He did.”

Mack shifted in his seat slightly before beginning, “Jemma, I know I haven’t always been the most open around you.  I just, I’m protective of Turbo, you know.  He’s a great guy.”

“Believe me, I know.”  She replied, “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

He held up his hand to stop her from continuing, “No, stop.  I’m not here to accuse you of anything.  Or blame you for him leaving.  You didn’t pack his bags.”

She nodded but didn’t make eye contact, “So why are you here?”

“I want to tell you a few things that I think you need to hear.  Things that Fitz didn’t feel the need to share with you, because he’s Fitz.”

Her eyes met his, “Like what?”

“How he really got you back.”  He took a deep breath, “I know that you know he spent months researching and traveling until he found what he needed to get the portal to stay open.  And that in itself was more than anyone could’ve asked from him.”

He continued, “But just saying he looked really hard for you doesn’t seem like enough.  Simmons, he went around the world.  He was captured, beaten, shot at.  I watched him for months risking his life over and over again, sometimes for nothing more than a piece of paper, thinking to myself, ‘If he keeps going like this, we’re going to lose them both.’ He climbed inside the damn container of the Monolith and punched it until his knuckles were bloody and his voice was raw from screaming.  It was horrible, watching all the ways that he missed you. He would’ve looked for you until the day he died.”

Jemma shook her head, wiping tears from her cheeks, “Why are you telling me this?”

He leaned forward and took her hands into his, “Because you gave up hope that you would make it back to him.  You gave up on him.  But he never gave up on you.  He fought hard enough for the both of you.”

He paused, squeezing her hands, “Now he doesn’t think there is anything left to fight for.  So, it’s your turn to fight hard enough for the both of you.  He didn’t give up on you when you needed him, you can’t give up on him now.”

He stood and moved towards the door but she didn’t release his hand.  He looked down and she said, “Thank you, Alphonso.”

“Oh, girl.  I know you like using first names when you feel close to someone, but just stick to Mack.”

She laughed and sniffled, “Got it.”

He paused at her door and added, “I never disliked you, by the way.  I just knew how much Fitz loved you and couldn’t fathom that you felt the same way if it was so easy for you to leave him.  But I’m starting to see that it’s just kind of you two’s thing.  Almost dying.  Lots of science.  Running away.  Repeat.”

“Leaving him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I just spent six months on another planet.”

He nodded, “So, try to imagine how he’s feeling right now.  You left back then because he needed you to, even if he didn’t realize it.  He left because he thinks you don’t need him at all.”

She clenched her jaw and nodded as he left her room.  Everything that Mack said to her was the absolute truth. 

They spent so many years completely wasting what was right in front of them.  Every touch, every laugh, every memory with him could’ve been so much more if she had just opened her eyes.  Her eyes were open now and she wasn’t going to waste any more of their lives being cowardly or stubborn.  Fitz left because he thinks she’s not in love with him.  The only thing she can do is show him that he’s wrong.

 

 

A few hours later Jemma sits in Coulson’s office, waiting for him to get back from a meeting with Rosalind.  She doesn’t really get why Daisy has such a problem with the woman, she found her a bit cool, but overall pleasant once they established she wasn’t evil.

As if she could sense someone thinking about her, Daisy tapped on the window of the office door.  Jemma gestured for her to come in.

“I know you only have a few minutes before Coulson gets back and you ruin his day because you’re totally about to ask him if you can leave too.”  She said, skipping the hellos.

“Make what quick?”

She leaned against Coulson’s desk and crossed her arms, “Why didn’t you tell me that you and Fitz kissed?  How long ago was it?  Who initiated it?  Where did it happen?  How long was it?  Was it awkward afterwards?  What happened?!”

Simmons eyes grew wider with every question and she couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s excitement, “Well…let’s see.  We were in the middle of battling Hydra, again.  We were trying to find Will and help Andrew and deal with Ward, which is a reason in itself why I didn’t tell you.  I know he’s a sensitive subject, especially now that he’s back downstairs in the cell.”

Daisy waved her hand, “Don’t change the subject, I accept those reasons, though.  Next answers.”

“Okay, it was while the team was checking out the ATCU, so maybe less than a month ago?  Fitz and I were in the lab yelling at each other, actually.  He was saying all the ways that Will was the obvious choice for me and how heroic he was and that he understood and I just snapped and yelled that he dove through a hole in the universe for me.  I mean, how could he think that anyone could be more heroic than him.  Anyway, he stopped yelling and just kissed me.”

“I knew it!  May owes me $10.  I knew he would man up and just do it at some point.”

Jemma rolled her eyes and continued, “Yeah well, he pulled back and stepped away from me.  I could see it in his eyes that he was done, that he had kissed me because he thought it was the last chance he’d have.  So I stepped forward and kissed him again.  I wanted him to know, I don’t know, that it wasn’t just him.  That I wanted it.  And him.  But it didn’t matter.  He was still done.”

Daisy placed a hand over her heart, “That is literally the saddest thing I have ever heard, and I grew up an orphan.  And my dad killed my mom, who was trying to kill me.  And my boyfriend was Hydra.  And I’ve been shot in the gut.  And I shot my Hydra boyfriend.  And you were sucked into a rock.  And Fitz was in a coma.  And Coulson lost his hand.  And Bobbi almost died.  And I forgot what we were talking about.  The kiss!  Sorry, keep going.”

Jemma shook her head, amused and continued, “So… he backed off again and told me we were cursed and then everything was pushed aside because we found the NASA/Hydra connection and that was the last time we spoke about our feelings.”

 

“So now you’re here to ask me for leave so you can go and get him back?”

Both girl’s heads snap up to seeing Coulson leaning against the door frame to his office.

Jemma stood up and Daisy straightened up from leaning on his desk, “I’m sorry.  I wanted to sit down and explain things to you, Sir.  I know it’s asking a lot for your lead scientist to leave a day after your lead engineer leaves, I just--”

“Simmons.”  Coulson held up his hand, “I like to think I run an underground government program designed to protect the world.  Sometimes, I’m not horrible at it and I did not agree to this job to babysit--”

“I am so sorry, Coulson.  I had no ide--”

“I’m not done talking!”  Coulson raised his voice, causing Simmons and Daisy to jump, “I have watched the two of you dance circles around each other for years!  The fights and miscommunications.  All the late night tea in the kitchen when you think everyone is sleeping.  The tears and the loss and every emotion on the spectrum with you two!  You were supposed to get it together by now, damn it! I don’t have time for a monkey!”

“Huh?” “I’m sorry, what?”  Daisy and Jemma ask in unison.

Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, “The monkey, Simmons.  I went ahead and bought the monkey along with the cage.  There was a sale.”  He looked up, “So you see, I need you raise this monkey together.  I need you to get it together, put your pride away, and go get Fitz, because I don’t have time to take care of a monkey and he doesn’t even have a name.  Can you do that for me?  Can you go get Fitz back?  For the sake of the damn monkey?!”

Simmons closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.  He returned the embrace and they stood there for a second, hugging it out.

“Thank you, Coulson.”

He nodded, “I’m having a very hard time trying to raise the two of you.”

Jemma laughed as she pulled back.  She looked between the two of them and said, “Okay.  So, I’ll be back when I’m back I guess.”

“Good luck.” Daisy replied and Coulson just nodded.

After Simmons left the room, Daisy turned to Coulson, “You’re not that bad of a father, I turned out fine.”

“Shut up, Skye.”

She walked out of his office but called back, “Well you lost Dad of the Year Award.  Can’t even remember my name.”

 

 

Jemma packed quickly and said her goodbyes.  She rounded the corner to head towards the car waiting for her, and ran straight into Will.

“Oh!  Sorry.”  She said, surprised.

He crossed his arms, “You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to say goodbye after our talk last night.”  She replied, not looking at him.

He shook his head, “I’m not mad at you, Jemma.  Disappointed, but not mad.”

She exhaled loudly, “Well you know what, this whole bloody situation would be a lot easier if someone other than me was angry at me!”

He smiled and put his hand on her cheek, “If I thought you were making the wrong decision, I wouldn’t be so understanding.”

She took a deep breath, nodding, “I’m still sorry for hurting you.”

“I know you are.” He bent down and kissed her forehead, “I’ll be alright.  I’m getting out of this bunker soon.  I’m getting my life back.  That’s thanks to you and Fitz.  The least I can do is not make things harder than they already are.”

He stepped to the side, “Go, Jemma.  I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

She smiled despite the situation, “Goodbye, Will.”

“Bye, Jem.”

 

The life she chose to live had turned everything she thought she knew upside down.  Everything constantly changed.  When she didn’t know who she was anymore, when she doubted everyone and everything around her, she could look to Fitz.  He was there beside her.  At the Academy, at SciOps, on the Bus.  Here at the Playground.  All she had to do was look at him and hear his grumpy Scottish accent and smell the mixture of his cologne and the tea he constantly drank and she’d be fine.  He grounded her.  He was always what she needed and everything she longed for, she had just been too blind to see it.  They both had.  She saw it now, and it was her turn to fight for him.


	4. I Need Your Help

Fitz left a note in the kitchen of the quiet house letting them know he was grateful for letting him stay, but he needed to keep moving.

He pulled his denim jacket tighter around him in the brisk early morning air and pulled a beanie down over his ears.  He thought about calling a cab, but instead chose to walk the twenty minutes to her parent’s house. 

Fitz enjoyed the solitude that came with walking down an empty gravel road, of simply enjoying the fresh air of the English countryside.  As much as he loved working in a lab, he missed the daylight.

As he rounded the bend in the road he saw the couple sitting in rocking chairs, watching the sun rise.  It brought back a memory that cut him like a knife.

>           _‘I know where it is Fitz…’_
> 
> _‘I was as clear-headed then as I’ve ever been, when I said all those things.’_
> 
> _‘What do you think we should do about it?’_

Fitz scoffed.  What an idiot he’d been for thinking she may have meant it, that any of it mattered.  He and Jemma weren’t destined for sunrises.  They weren’t destined for anything.

 

“Leopold Fitz!” Jemma’s mother, Margaret, called out and he waved in return.

The two of them met him in their drive way with open arms, “Fitz! Son, what on earth are you doing here?” Henry Simmons questioned.

Fitz pulled away and shrugged, “I couldn’t visit Mom without stopping by to see you both.”

Mrs. S squealed in delight, “Oh, come on, come in and get some tea.  Catch us up with all of your adventures.  Why didn’t you get a car, or call us?  We would’ve picked you up from the airport!”

Fitz wrapped an arm around the petite woman, “I actually got here last night, stayed with Josh and Caroline.  It was kind of a spur of the moment trip so I decided to see as many people as I could.”

Henry took off his hat as he opened the door and took a seat in the living room, gesturing for Fitz to do the same.  He sat down and pulled his beanie off, relaxing into the familiar couch.

“Where’s Jemma?”  He got straight to the point.

Fitz nodded, “Sorry, I should have started with that.  Like I said, my leave was kind of just a small window of opportunity and Simmons didn’t have that this time.  We’ve actually been working in separate areas of the lab on and off for the last few months.  So, unfortunately my sector had some free time open up, but hers didn’t.”

Margaret looked at her husband with concerned eyes before turning towards Fitz with his tea, “Here you go, sweetheart.  Why would you be working without Jemma?”

He internally cursed himself for even mentioning that, “Well, we’ve been given a much larger lab and that comes with more lab workers that we have to supervise and it just worked out better for us to divide the area somewhat.  But, I promise that we still work on the important things together.”

Jemma’s father nodded and then replied, “Tell me son, has all that time in the states taught you that it’s okay to come into someone’s house and lie to their face?”

Fitz dropped his head and ran a hand over the back of his neck, “Was it believable in the slightest?  For even a second?”

The older woman sat down next to him and patted his knee, “When Henry said her name your face told us everything we needed to know.” She continued, “So, what did she do to you?”

He eyed her, “How’d you know it wasn’t me that did something?”

She laughed, “Oh Fitz, don’t be ridiculous.  You’ve been ready to marry that girl since you met her, even if you didn’t realize it at the time.”

“Mary, don’t push the boy if he’s not ready to talk about it.  Whatever happened between the two of you, I’m sure you’ll work it out.  You always do.”

Fitz rubbed his weak hand for a moment before saying what he had honestly come to England to say in the first place, “The friendship and the companionship I found with your daughter over the years has been something irreplaceable.  And you’ve treated me like family and that has meant more to me than you know.  But whatever relationship I had with Jemma is over.  I came here to see Josh and to see you two because I wanted to see you all again and thank you in person for the love and the memories you’ve given me.  But I can’t come around anymore.  It wouldn’t be fair.”

Henry sat us straighter in his chair, “Be fair to who?”

“To her.  There is someone in her life now that should be visiting and playing with Maisy and drinking with Josh and that’s not me anymore.  And it’s not fair to me either.  I love you all so much but I need to move on.”

Jemma’s mother shook her head, “No, no, no.  This isn’t right.  You and Jemma were supposed to realize you loved each other and I was supposed to have beautiful, brilliant grandchildren.  I mean, I love Maisy but she’s not going to win the Nobel Peace Prize!”

Fitz smiled and wrapped an arm around her, “I know.  And for what it’s worth, I did realize that I loved her.  You two raised the most spectacular woman I will ever meet, but I wasn’t the only one that thought so and she had to follow her heart and that’s okay.”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, content to just be a little sad together.  They had always treated him like family and Fitz had hoped that one day they really would be. 

Henry broke the silence, “This sucks.”

Fitz laughed, “That about sums it up.”

“Your mother won’t stop emailing me recipes, will she?”  Margaret questioned.

“No, she wouldn’t do that to you.”

She placed a hand over her heart, “Okay good.  There is only so much an old woman can take, you know.”

Fitz smiled and stood, “Okay, well.  I guess this is it then.”

Henry stood up and held out his hand, “Leo.  I want you to know that I’m very proud of the man you’ve become.  You are going to make some girl someday very happy, I promise you that.”

Fitz pulled the man’s hand towards him, hugging him tightly, “I appreciate that, Henry.”

Margaret wiped her nose with a handkerchief and gave him one last hug, “We love you, Fitz.  You’ll be careful.”

He smiled and nodded, “Of course I will.”

 

The couple watched what would have been their favorite child walk back down the road he had just come from in silence.  Once he was out of sight, Margaret turned to her husband, “This is bullshit.”

“Honey, Jemma is a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions.”

She threw up her hand as she walked back into the house, “Her decision was bullshit.”

He stopped her and pulled her into a hug, “I know, sweetheart.  But she’s our daughter, and we still have to love her…right?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I guess.”

He laughed, rubbing her shoulders, “They find their way back to each other.”

“How are you so certain?”

“Because I know my daughter.  I’ve seen the way she looks at him.  It doesn’t matter how many people come and go in their lives, that look, you can’t shake that kind of love.”

“I hope you’re right.” 

“I am.”

 

* * *

 

 

Fitz hopped off the train in Glasgow.

With his hands in his pockets, he made his way down the bustling street.  What a contrast it was to this morning’s stroll through the countryside.  At the same time, it still felt entirely familiar.  He spent much of his younger years in and around Glasgow.  The Uni let him use their laboratories throughout his adolescence until he left for the Academy. 

Fitz ran his hand along the back of a bench he had spent many days on, working on some paper or reading a book.  He smiled at the memories as he looked out over the bay.  He was a part of this place and it was a part of him.  He was pulled from his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder.  He turned and inhaled sharply at the sight.

“Emily?”

“Leo.”

He just stood there with a blank stare on his face, prompting her to continue, “What are you doing here?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, “I’m Scottish.  It’s Scotland.” She rolled her eyes at his dry tone as he added, “Why are you in Glasgow?”

“I moved back last year.  God, it’s been a while, huh?” She smiled, attempting to put a dent in that hard exterior wall of his.

“Since you dumped me?  Yeah, three years give or take.”

She sighed, “Oh come off it.  You were so excited to go into the field, you barely noticed.”

He waved his hand at her and turned back towards the bay, “I noticed plenty.”

“I can see your temper hasn’t dimmed down in your old age.”  She mumbled under her breath.

He cut his eyes over to her, “I heard that.”

She elbowed him with a smirk on her face, “You were supposed to.”

He looked up at the sky for a second and sighed, “The universe isn’t cutting me any slack here lately.”

She nodded her head back towards town, “How about I buy you a drink.  You can tell me about all it.”

He looked down at her.  She looked different, her hair was longer and lighter.  But she was still the same, too.  She just felt like another lifetime to him.  But maybe a little time in another life would be refreshing for him.

“How about I buy them and we not talk about it?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Fine, but you’ll tell me all about it anyways after a few drinks.”

He rolled his eyes and turned towards the road, “You’re probably right.”

She smiled and patted his back as they headed towards the pub, “I know I am.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Fitz! Your phone just keeps ringing!  When did you become so popular?”  Emily called out over the sound of the band in the background.

He laughed and slid it across the booth, “Turn it off if it makes you feel better.  I don’t care whose callin.”

Fitz was pretty buzzed.  He normally had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol, but it needed to be kept up and he hadn’t exactly been on the bar scene in the last couple of years.  At least he wasn’t the only sloppy drunk in the booth.

“No no, I think I’ll answer it instead!”  She grinned and slid her finger towards the green button, “Hello, Dr. Leopold Fitzzz’s phone, Dr. Emily Carmichael speaking.”

They both laughed and then she shushed him so she could hear.

“Um. Uh… yeah can I talk to Fitz?”  The person on the other end of the line asked.

Emily looked up, “How weird…it’s for you!”

He snatched the phone and threw back the rest of the whiskey in his glass, “HELLO?” he yelled over the music.

“Jesus, Fitz.  How hammered are you!?”

“Skye!! I mean, Daisy!!” He looked over at Emily, “Daisy is my friend from work I was telling you about.  The one with the powers.”

“Fitz!  What the hell!  You can’t tell her about that!”  Daisy yelled into her receiver.

Fitz shook his head, “Shhhhh.  She won’t say anything about your hacking abilities.  I promise.”

Daisy put a hand on her chest, sighing in relief.  Fitz was drunk, but at least he wasn’t that stupid.

“Fitz, what are you doing?”

He plugged his other ear with his finger, trying to hear her better, “There’s this crazy thing called fun, have you heard about it?  I’m trying it out with Emily here, and I have to say, I don’t hate it.”

She could barely hear him over the background noise and the fact he was slurring his words, “Fitz, who’s Emily?”

He slid the phone across the table and gestured for two more drinks, “She wants to know who you are!”

She picked up the phone, “Why does he call you Skye and Daisy?”

Daisy pinched the bridge of her nose and answered, “I was a foster child and Skye was my name.  I met my real parents and found out they named me Daisy.  Decided to go with that.  Who are you?”

“That’s so sad!”  She responded, “I’m so happy that you got to meet your parents.”

“Are you crying?” Daisy asked, exasperated.

“No!”  Emily sniffled once and straightened up in the booth, “I’m Emily, which you already knew.  Fitz said you’re friends with him and Simmons.  How is good ole Jem?”

“How about you tell me how you know Fitz and I’ll tell you how Jemma is?”  Daisy responded calmly.

“Oh, me and Fitz?  We went to the Academy together.  Me n Fitz n Jemma, all there together.  I dropped out two years in.  Decided I wanted to be an actual Doctor, you know, for people.”

“So you and Jemma are friends too, I’ve never heard either of them mention you?”  Daisy was far more concerned than intrigued by this point.

“HA.”  Emily said coldly, taking the drink Fitz handed her, “Jemma and I never really took to each other, but we shared Fitz the best we could.”

Daisy replied, “But you and Fitz?”

“I was Leo’s first girlfriend.”

Fitz joined in and yelled across the table, “Leo’s only girlfriend!”

Emily laughed and reached across, putting her hand on his, “I already said I was sorry!”

“Yeah well you still have to make it up to me.”  He replied with a wink.

Daisy jumped up and down in frustration, knowing they couldn’t see her, “Give the phone back to Fitz please!!”

Emily shrugged and handed it over.  Fitz grabbed it, “You’re kind of crashing the party, my friend.”

“Fitz, dig deep and find your inner sober person and listen to me.  You cannot do this, okay.  I know you’re hurting and it probably seems like a great idea, but it’s not.  Jemma, she’s--”

Fitz interrupted, “I do not care what Jemma is or isn’t doing or saying or feeling, okay?  Got it?  I’m not mad at her.  She’s great.  It’s fine.  Stop worrying about everyone for once.  Jeez.  You know what you should worry about.  Your psycho ex-boyfriend that’s living beneath you.  You worry about your ex and I’ll worry about mine.  I’m gonna go now, love youuu.”

Daisy heard the line go dead and then threw her phone down.

“You have got to be shitting me!”  She yelled into the empty aircraft hangar.  Literally everyone else was gone.  Coulson left her alone to oversee Ward.  She knew he was testing her, seeing if she could really handle his being here and his rehabilitation.

She put her head in her hands and thought for a minute.  Dropping her hands, she sighs as she heads for where she doesn’t want to go, “This is so stupid.  Still doing it.  But it’s hella stupid.  And I’m talking to myself.  Fitz has got me pulling a Fitz.”

She stopped in front of the door, “Just do it.”

She took a deep, steadying breath and pushed it open.  She calmly walked down the stairs and turned on the lights.

Ward rustled awake and sat up, “Skye?  What are you doing?”

She took a seat in the chair facing his cell, “I can’t believe I’m saying this.”  She paused and looked him in the eyes, “I need your help.”


	5. STEP AWAY FROM THE SCIENTIST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of this chapter feels like it's done but there is another chapter afterwards. Just FYI!

“So you’re telling me that we saved the guy that's keeping Fitz and Simmons from being together and we did it on purpose?”  Ward paced the length of his cell.

“No.  The only person keeping Fitz and Simmons from being together right now is Fitz.  Jemma's on a flight to Scotland to proclaim her undying love for him and he’s getting wasted with his ex-girlfriend, who just so happens to hate Jemma!”

Ward froze in mid-stride, “I’m sorry, did you say someone hates Simmons?  You sure she’s not the head of Hydra?”

Daisy stared blankly, “Too soon.”

“Sorry.”  He held up his hands, “I know the trust thing is going to take a long time.”

Daisy nodded, “Fitz got Will back and I destroyed the last portal, but you saved everyone’s life and destroyed Hydra.  I don’t trust you as far as I could throw you, but we have to start somewhere.”

He stood in front of her, “What can I do?”

“I don’t know how to fly a plane.”

He gestured to the invisible cell wall, “Whenever you’re ready.”

She tapped the arm of the chair a few times and exhaled loudly, “Here we go.”  And then pressed the button.

* * *

 

 

Fifteen minutes later they were in a jet, headed for Glasgow.  She knew Fitz lived in the surrounding area of the city.  She was hoping he wouldn’t be home.  If he wasn’t there, then Jemma would have to look for him.  The jet should cut back on her lead on them significantly, but every second mattered.

“So how do we find him, other than the city he’s probably in?”  Ward broke the awkward silence.

“GPS is a beautiful thing.  We just need to get there before Simmons does.”

He nodded, “So, what happens when we find him?  Am I allowed to do more than fly the plane?”

She turned towards him, “Do you really think Jemma or Fitz want to see you?”

“Fair enough.  I could distract the girl.  I’m very charming when I want to be.”

Daisy rolled her eyes, “I’m already regretting this.  You aren’t leaving the plane.  You couldn’t, even if you wanted to.”  She pointed to his ankle bracelet, “Coulson and the team still think you’re in your cell and it needs to stay that way.  I reprogramed it and as long as you’re in the plane, it won’t go off.”

He sighed, “You sure you did that so Coulson won’t get pissed or so you can have the satisfaction of taking me on a mission that I can’t do anything on?”

She smiled and looked ahead, “Both.”

 

They landed in a cow pasture in the countryside of Scotland.  Daisy had to admit, she’d had worse missions.  Though this wasn’t technically a mission, it was her mission.  She’d watched the two of them fight so hard for each other, for their friendship, their lives.  They loved each other in a way she only hoped one day should could love and be loved.  She wasn’t going to let some hot blonde, probably, bitch ruin everything.

“What exactly is your plan, Skye?”

She exhaled, “It’s Daisy now.”  The ride had stressed her out more than she thought it would.  He was Ward.  The guy who she fell for and who had ruined her life and the lives of so many people she cared about.  Even though he swore he did everything as a means to an end, it wasn't something you just got over.

“Yeah… I’m not doing well on remembering that.”  He shrugged, unbuckling his seatbelt.

She shrugged, “It took everyone a while.  They still slip every once and a while.  No big deal.”

He nodded, “Hey, thank you for giving me this chance.  I hope you know that--”

She held up her hand, “Ward, just stop.  I get that you’re trying, but we are not friends.  We're nowhere close to that yet. You saved us and you helped us destroy Hydra and you turned yourself in.  I get it all, but it doesn’t cancel out all of the people you’ve hurt and lies you’ve told.”

He leaned back in his chair and looked out into the field, “I promised I would never lie to you again.  I’ve kept my word.  But, words don’t change everything I’ve done, I get that.  I know that only time and my actions can prove anything to you.”  He turned back to her, “So with that said, I will stay on this plane and not get either of us in trouble.  You’re gonna go get Fitzsimmons back together and then return me to my cell before anyone knows I’m gone and we’ll pretend like it never happened.”

She looked at him for a moment before nodding and grabbing her bag, “Put that ear piece in, I’ll keep you updated.”

With that, she opened the doors and hopped out, heading towards the problem.  Emily.

 

 

* * *

 

On the other side of town, Fitz woke with a hangover.  Sitting up, he winced and covered his eyes, “Bloody hell.”

“The night took a turn for you, I’m afraid.”

Fitz froze and his eyes followed the voice.  Emily was sitting in an oversized armchair, drinking a cup of tea.

He looked around him and realized his was in a living room, but not his, “Emily?”

“Please say you at least remember running into me?”  She responded.

Fitz nodded, “I remember drinking and more drinking and that’s about it.”

She shook her head, “Jesus, Fitz.  You used to be able to drink anyone under the table.  What the hell happened?”

“I grew up.”  He snapped in response.

“Grew up?  Look at your hand.”

He looked down at his swollen right hand, “What the hell?”

She got up and walked over to her kitchen to pour him a cup of tea, “Tea?” He nodded and she continued, “You punched a guy that beat you at darts and got yourself thrown out.  I made you come back here because no way in hell was I letting your mom know I got you so shitfaced your first night back in town.  She already hates me.”

“You’re talking very loud.”  He replied, recovering his eyes, “And she doesn’t hate you.”

“You’re right,” she came back into the living room and sat down next to him with a mug, “She was just eternally disappointed that I wasn’t Simmons.”

“Can we not talk about Jemma?  I’d like to go one bloody day without talking about her.”

She held up her hands in mock surrender, “Hey, I’m fine with not talking about her, you’re the one who couldn’t stop last night.  ‘Jemma this and Jemma that.  Jemma’s new boyfriend has a hog face.  You could’ve had it all…rolling in the deep.’ It was dark times for you, I'm not gonna lie.”

He side eyed her, “I highly doubt I quoted Adele.”

She shook her head, smiling, “No, you didn’t quote her.  You sang the song.”

He dropped his head onto the back of the couch and groaned.

She reached over and laid a hand onto his forearm, “I know that you know that I don’t like Simmons, but I am sorry that it didn’t work out.  I hate to see you so unhappy.  You deserve the world.”

Fitz suddenly leaned over and kissed her.  She froze, surprised.  She brought a hand up and rested it on his shoulder, gently pushing him back, “Leo.”

He sat his cup on the coffee table and leaned forward, placing his head in his hands, “I’m sorry.  I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

She rubbed her hand on his back, “You’re hurting.  It’s okay to not know what you’re doing.”

He sat back up, “Why did you break up with me?  You said you were too busy for a relationship.  You didn’t want to worry about me in the field, but they sounded like excuses you had practiced saying.  Just tell me the truth, why wasn’t I what you wanted?”

“Oh, Fitz,” she pulled a leg up on her couch to completely face him, “You were everything I wanted.  I was so in love with you.  I just didn’t want to stick around and watch when you realized you didn’t feel the same way.”

He shook his head, “No, I loved you.  You knew that.”

She smiled sadly, “Loving someone and being in love with someone is drastically different, Fitz.  You should know that by now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about the way you felt about me, really think about those feelings.”  She waited a moment and then added, “Now think about the feelings you have for her.  You’re lying to yourself if you think for a second that they compare.  You never looked at me the way you looked at her, even now after everything she's done, every time I say that I don't like her I can see it all over your face that you want to defend her, to argue in her corner.”

He stood up, “I didn’t know.  Back then, I mean.” he paused with his hands on his head, turning around to look down at her, “I didn’t see it.  I never dreamed... She was my best friend and then one day…”

“She just wasn’t.”  Emily finished, taking Fitz’s hand in hers, “It’s okay to feel, Fitz.  The hurt, the loss, whatever you need to feel.  You don’t have to act like you’re not mad at her or him or the universe.  You don’t have to be so selfless.”

He squeezed her hand, “I don’t want to be mad at her.  For as much as I can’t help my feelings, she can’t help hers either.  She can’t help falling in love with someone and I wouldn’t be her best friend if I made her feel guilty for doing so.”

She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug, “Sometimes I think you’re too kindhearted for your own good.”

 

“STEP AWAY FROM THE SCIENTIST!” Daisy announced, causing the pair to jump in surprise.  Daisy was standing in the doorway, pointing an icer at them, “I will sedate you, don’t think I won’t.”

Emily held her hands up and Fitz rolled his eyes, grabbing her hand and putting it back down, “What. The. Hell. are you doing?”

“Saving you from the biggest mistake of your life!” She responded, lowering her gun and closing the door behind her, “Also, lock your doors.  Totally not safe.”

“Well you have a flare for dramatics don’t you?”  Emily asked rhetorically.

Ignoring her, Daisy walked over to Fitz and put her hands on either side of his face, “Look me in the eyes so I know you are fully grasping what I am telling you.  Simmons, she--”

“Oh my god!" He knocked her hands away, "If everyone doesn’t stop talking about her I swear..." He took a deep breath, collecting himself, "I don’t know why you’re here or how the hell you got here so fast when last night you were at The Playground, but it doesn’t matter.  I have nothing to say to her that I haven’t already said.”

Fitz sat down and began tying his shoe laces. Daisy knelt down and undid the laces he had just tied on one shoe.

He paused and exhaled, “You are a child.”

“You’re the one being a child.  You’re running away from your problems like a kid who doesn’t want to do his chores and it’s getting old, Fitz.  Grow up and face your problems.”

He re-tied it quickly and stood up, grabbing his jacket and walking towards the door, “Why can’t you just mind your own damn business?”

Daisy watched as he slammed the door behind him and smiled, “That went better than I thought.”

Emily awkwardly cleared her throat and Daisy turned to her, “So um…nice apartment.”

“You can go.”  Emily responded.

Daisy nodded and then looked down at the coffee table, “You think his tea is still warm?  I haven’t had anything to eat or drink today…”

Emily looked at her flatly and Daisy concluded, “Right.  I’m just gonna go.”

 

Walking back towards the field where the plane was she heard Ward on her ear piece, “Stop and eat before you get back here.  You aren’t nice when you’re hungry.”

She rolled her eyes, “He needed to hear it.”

“What was the point of that, exactly?  Other than practicing your breaking and entering skills?”

She shrugged, even though he couldn’t see her, and answered, “Had to make him mad enough to go see his mom.  That’s where he needs to be.”

“Whatever you say, boss.  Bring me some lunch on your way back.”

“Yeah we’ll see about that.”

* * *

 

 

Moving through the city, Fitz heads towards his mother’s house in the cab he had flagged down.  Sure, he’d been hurt and confused and avoiding the situation, but how dare Daisy say that he was being a child.  He was trying to do the right thing by himself and by Jemma by letting her go and making the situation easy for her. It frustrated him to no end that no one could see that.

The cab pulled up to a long driveway and he paid and got out.  It had been too long since he’d seen his mother.  He loved her more than anything, but she was a lot to handle.  Talking to her about anything remotely scientific was like talking to a brick wall.  She was intelligent and wonderful and did her very best to raise him, but they had nothing in common.  She always said he was just like his father, not that he’d stuck around long enough to learn anything from him.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets and sighing, he headed up the winding driveway towards their small, two story farmhouse.  Despite the less than ideal circumstances that led him here, he felt the warmth of home creep over him. 

He inhaled slowly and deeply and then turned the knob.

 

“Mom?” He called into the house, soft music playing from a record player.

A head poked out from the kitchen, “Leo?  Leo!”

He smiled as he heard her drop her pan into the sink and run into the living room, “Hey, Mom.”

The first thing that felt right since Simmons sat him down and told him about Will was hugging his mom.  There was something that just mended itself when your mom was there.  He’d like to think he was a full grown man, but sometimes you just needed your mom.

“My sweet boy!  You look so handsome, look at your beard.”  She hugged him tighter, “You look like you need something good to eat though, skin and bones!”

He pulled back, still smiling, “I’m fine.  Just been a little stressed with work.”

“And Jemma.”  She returned, “Did you really think Margaret wouldn’t call me?  But it’s fine, honey.  I won’t say another word about her.”

“Really?” He replied.  His mom was a lot of things and nosy was definitely one of them.

She smiled sadly, “Of course, Sweetheart.  People deal with things in their own way, in their own time.”

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?"

She laughed and walked back into the kitchen and he followed.

“Tea?” She asked.

He looked around the kitchen, not much had changed, “No thanks.”  He noticed the kettle was already made, “Are you expecting someone?” Usually his mother would just make enough for one, but it was full.

She shrugged, “Didn’t know when you’d be by, been keeping fresh tea just in case.”

He smiled, “Well in the case, I’d love a cup.  I’m just going to run upstairs and put my bags down.”

She nodded, “Everything you need is still up there.”

 

He bounded up the stairs two at a time like he had done every day since his legs were long enough to reach.

He walked in and absentmindedly threw his bag on the floor as he collapsed face first onto his bed.

“Fantastic.” He muttered into his pillows.

“I can come back later if you want a moment alone with your bed.”

Fitz sprang up, turning towards his windows at the sound of her voice, “Jemma?”

“Hi, Fitz.”  She returned sheepishly.

He crossed his arms, “I guess I should have let Daisy finish what she was going to say.”

“What?”  That wasn’t the first words she imagined him saying.

“Daisy showed up this morning where I was staying and tried to tell me something but I cut her off and left.”

She nodded, “Yeah you’ve been doing that a lot lately, it seems.”

He just shrugged.

"Where were you staying?"  She asked, suddenly acutely aware of the probability of Emily showing up.  Jemma had kept tabs on the blonde ever since she left the Academy.  She had broken Fitz's heart and Jemma had been determined to never let her near her best friend again. 

"Emily's."  He said, almost as if he was proud that he had done something that Jemma wouldn't like.

She tensed up, "Of course you did."

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry.  I didn't realize it was make sure Jemma is satisfied with who I sleep with day."

"You slept with her?" She countered.  He could practically see the color drain from her face and simultaneously wished he had worded it better and enjoyed the sight.

He shrugged, "I don't know.  I woke up on her couch so, probably not."

She let out a shaky breath, "Did you want to?"

"Does it matter?"

Jemma ran her hand down her face, frustrated at the turn this conversation had taken, "You know what, I don't care about her.  We need to talk us.  About everything, Fitz.”  She approached him and he took a step backwards, shaking his head.

“No we don’t.  There’s nothing to discuss.”

Her hands fisted in frustration, “Why?  Why not?  I don’t understand what’s happened.  You were so confident that you’d get him back.  And then you get him back and you just freak out and leave.  Did you not really think you could do it or--”

“I didn’t think you’d choose him!”  the outburst Fitz had been trying to avoid sprang upon him and he wasn't done, “Maybe somewhere deep down, I held on to that hope that you meant it when you said you never wanted to be without me.  But I was mistaken.  He came back and you picked him.  So yes, I freaked out and I left.”

He looked at her, breathing heavily.  He was angry.  Angry he had to spell it out for her.  Angry he had to say the words he wanted desperately to forget.  But most angry because she was so damn beautiful even though he could tell she’d been crying.

“Fitz, I wanted to talk to you after he came back and everyone and everything settled down.  He needed medical attention and psychological attention.  Imagine spending years alone and then thrown into a different world than the one you left.  I’m the only person he knew there.”

He raised his hand in front of him, wanting more than anything for this conversation to be over, “Jemma, stop.  Okay, you don’t have to explain yourself to me.  That’s why I left in the first place.  I don’t want to make life harder for you than it already is.  You were busy and we didn’t need to talk about it.”

Jemma snapped, “Yeah well I’m right here in front of you, Fitz!  I flew thousands of miles on a Red Eye to be here.  We’re here right now and we need to talk about it!”

“What is there left to talk about?!”  He raised his voice, “We’ve been here before, Jemma!  We’re always right here.  Right on the verge of something, and that something is always nothing!"  He added calmly, "Let’s face it, we’re nothing.”

Jemma took a step backwards, his words felt like a slap in the face and she knew that he knew it.  Looking at the floor, she responded softly, “You don’t mean that.”

His shoulders lifted as he inhaled deeply and then they dropped, “I’m done trying.  I’m done caring, okay.  I told you how I felt and it wasn’t what you wanted.  You should’ve stuck to that because everything has gone to hell since you changed your mind.  If I had stayed there after Will came back, nothing would be any different than before.  You’re only here because you’re scared of change!” He lowered his voice and added, “You always have been.”

It was Jemma who yelled this time, “Yes! I came here because I’m scared.  I’m bloody terrified!  But not because of change, because I…”  She paused, petrified of what she was about to say, “Because I love you.”

He shook his head and looked down.  After a few seconds of silence, he answered, “I don’t believe you.”

“Please look at me, Leo.” She begged, but he refused to look up.  She closed the space between them and took his face into her hands, “I came here because I love you.”

He closed his eyes and removed her hands from his face, “Back in the lab, I asked you if you loved Will and you said yes.  You said you loved him.  And it plays over and over in my mind and anything you say right now won’t change the fact that I know you were telling me the truth then.”

With that he turned and walked out of his room.

Jemma sank down onto the foot of his bed, letting out the shaky breath she’d been holding.  She stared at a poster on his wall.  A diagram of the bloody Milky Way. 

She stood back up, “The cosmos wants us to be apart my ass.”

She grabbed her jacket and ran down the stairs, following him outside.  She found him by the stream in his backyard, “Hey!  You’re just going to leave the room when things get to hard to discuss?!”

He turned to see her storming towards him, “Oh my god, did that really just come out of your mouth?  You know what, no.” He held his hands up, “You’re just trying to get a reaction and I’m done talking.”

She approached him, dropping her jacket to the ground, “That’s fine.  But you’re going to stand there and listen.”

“Jem--”

“No!”  She cut him off, “You have spent every single day since you left cutting me off and not letting me explain myself and acting like you know every damn thing about what’s going on in my brain.  You don’t!  You can walk away when I’m done and never speak to me again, but you’re going to listen to me right now.  You owe me that.”

Fitz clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, but he didn’t object.  She took that as her cue to continue.

She shifted uncomfortably and took a deep breath, “You are right.  I did tell you that I loved Will, and I meant it.”

Fitz rolled his eyes and turned back towards the water but she walked around to stand in front of him, forcing him to look at her, and continued, “I didn’t want the kiss to be good.  I wanted you to be right, that the universe wanted us to be apart.  I wanted to hate it and I wanted you to hate it and for us to just move past this whole situation because I’m not good at handling the unknown, and what I knew without a doubt was that you were my best friend in the world and I couldn’t lose that, not again.”

He exhaled slowly, “But you didn’t hate the kiss.”

She shook her head, “No, I didn’t.  It was very much the opposite.”  She paused before continuing, “You’re my best friend, Fitz.  I think if the universe had anything to do with us, it was making us lab partners all those years ago.  It hasn’t kept us apart, it’s the reason we keep coming back to this.  It's giving us however many chances we need to get it right.  Because this,” she gestured between the two of them, "this is the only thing I've ever gotten right.  That kiss felt like a beginning to me, but you treated it like the end for you."

She caught her breath for a moment, the lump in her throat growing every second that she was looking at his unresponsive face, “I do love Will, but I’m not in love with him and I don’t want to be with him.  I want to be with you.  I want you, Fitz.”

He stood there quietly, just blankly staring at her.

She continued, ignoring the tears that had begun to trail down her cheeks, “I don’t know what else to say.  If... If this isn't what you want anymore... Maybe seeing Emily awakened the feelings you had for her.. if I’ve missed my chance, I unders--”

He stepped forward, placing his hands on each side of her face and kissed her like it was something he did every day.  The fear that was in his eyes the last time had completely disappeared.  He moved his hands from her face to her waist and pulled her flush against him, confidently and with more passion than she knew he possessed.  Her arms came up and wrapped around his neck as they deepened the kiss. 

They pulled back slowly, breathing heavily, and she rested her forehead on his, “Wow.”

He closed his eyes and smiled, not letting go of her waist, “Yeah.”

“Can I show you something?”

He lifted his head to look at her, “What?”

She stepped back and grabbed her jacket that she never bothered to put back on.  Fishing through the pockets, she pulled out her key ring.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

She shuffled nervously in place for a moment before taking a key off of it and handing it to him, “Seeing you was my second stop in Scotland.”

“What?” He looked so confused she wanted to laugh, but she held it together.

“I wasn’t sure what it would take to get you to believe me and you've just made so many big gestures for me what with saving my life repeatedly.  And you saved that dinner reservation all of those months, not knowing if you'd ever see me again.  So, when my plane landed I decided to go North about an hour first.”

He locked eyes with her, “Perthshire?”

She just nodded.

He looked back down at the key.

When he didn’t say anything, her nerves starting catching up with her, “Fitz?”

He looked up at her, “You bought a house because I wouldn’t answer your phone calls?”

She rubbed her hands together and shifted uncomfortably in place, “I mean, I know it’s kind of crazy and rash but… I don’t know, I just wanted you to know that I meant everything that I said in that video and I know that I’ve hurt you and I’ve done everything wrong and--”

Fitz tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and then cupped her face, “I love you too.”

The tears that had begun to swim in her eyes sparkled as he looked down at her.  Her arms came up to rest on his forearms, “Yeah?”

He kissed her softly before replying, “Yeah.”

 

About fifty meters from the two of them sat an invisible jet.

Daisy squealed and stated proudly, “Told you this was where he needed to be.”

“Yeah yeah, just give me the binoculars.” He grinned and added, “Fucking finally.”


	6. You Hesitated!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter  
> Thank you all for reading!

Five weeks later:

 

 

The sunlight played across his face through the curtains, pulling Fitz slowly and softly from his dreams.  Gradually, he opened his eyes and stretched, letting the reality of the day sink in.  He had to go back to work today.  As much as he was glad to be back with his friends and to do what he loved, he had thoroughly enjoyed the normalcy he had settled into these last few weeks in his home country.

Fitz leaned over to check his phone, “Shit.”  He laid on his back and rubbed his hands over his face.  Gently, he rolled over and moved the hair resting on her shoulder out of the way.

He placed a soft kiss on the nape of her neck and whispered, “Jemma, you need to wake up or we’re going to be late.” Fitz chuckled when she mumbled and pulled the covers over her head, moving away from him.  He added, “I’m not the one who agreed to come back a week early.”

She huffed as he slowly slid the sheets back down, exposing her face.  She narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t respond.

“You are not a morning person.”  He commented as he propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her.

She sighed and lifted her head to meet him for a tender kiss before replying, “It’s not the morning that I don’t like.  I just don’t want to leave here.”

He sighed as well, lightly tracing his fingertips up and down her arm, “I don’t either, but we both know it’s time.”

She curled towards him, answering, “Yeah I know.  It’s just… this has been so easy.  The field is dangerous and anything could happen and--”

“And we love it.”  He finished for her.

“I know,” she interlocked her fingers with his, “but I just don’t want it to change anything.  We just figured us out and things happen so fast and everything is always so stressful.  I can’t lose this, you.  Not again.”

Fitz tilted his head and said the first thing that came into his mind, “I want to be your husband.”

She froze.

He abruptly tossed the sheets back and flipped over to put his feet on the floor.  He stood up, adjusting his boxers and then grabbed the white undershirt he had laid out the night before.

She sat up, “Leo, you can’t just say that and then act like you didn’t say it.”

He grabbed a pair of jeans out of his suitcase and then walked over to her side of the bed.  Sitting down next to her, he dropped both pieces of clothing on the floor and cupped one of her cheeks, “Jemma, I’m not asking you to marry me today, so calm down.  I just want you to know that no matter what situation comes up or how stressed or angry we get with each other, I still want to be the man you spend the rest of your life with.  If ever the day comes that you’re ready to marry me too, I’m right here.  No matter how hard it gets again, I’m not going anywhere and I know that you aren’t either.  No more running.”

Jemma leaned forward and kissed him softly.  He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.  She leaned backwards and he followed until he was resting on top of her. 

Jemma deepened the kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist.  Fitz then dropped his head to her neck and peppered kisses down to her collarbone and then back up to her jaw.

“Fitz.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed him back slightly, “We’re going to be late.”

“I think we have enough time.”  He said, pleadingly.

She shook her head, “Not if we have to stop by a courthouse first.”

He looked down at her, “I’m sorry, what?”

She ran her hands from his bare chest to his shoulders and then down and up his arms that were bracing himself above her, “You said that if ever I was ready to marry you, you’d be right here.  And well...”

“Are you serious right now?”  He asked, in a higher pitch than he’d like to admit.

“You’re right… we should probably wait until we know each other a little better.  What if I don’t like the way you chew or how you load the dishwasher?”  She countered sarcastically.

“Jemma Simmons, are you asking me to marry you?”  He asked with a grin.

She shrugged, her eyes not leaving his, “It is possible that our morning conversation has turned into a marriage proposal, yes.”

Fitz rolled over and sat back up on her side of the bed.  He leaned down and grabbed the jeans he dropped on the floor.

“Fitz, what are you doing?”

He waved a hand dismissively, “Just hold on one second.”

Victoriously, he sat back up and handed her a flat box.

“What is this?”  She asked, nervously.

He shrugged, “Well, I know I said I wasn’t asking you to marry me today, but seeing as I’ve had that ring in every pants pocket since we left my mom’s house almost a month ago, now seemed as fitting a time as ever.  It was my grandmother's.”

She slowly opened the box and the ring moved from a horizontal position to stand upright and she gasped at its beauty, “Leo, I don’t know what to say.  It’s beautiful.”

He smiled sheepishly, “You could say yes…if you wanted to.”

A grin broke across her face, “Yes!  Of course, yes.  Obviously!”

He laughed and took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger.

She stared down at it, “I’m never going to get any work done because I’m never going to not look at this ring.” She patted his chest, not looking up at him and added, “Except for when I look at you, of course.”

“Oh, of course.”  He replied in an amused tone, “Okay, get your engaged self out of that bed because we really are going to miss our flight.”

“Wait, are we getting married today or doing the engaged thing for a while?” She asked.

He thought for a second, “I’m down to marry you any second that you are.  However, the team might literally self-implode if we come back married without telling them."

She flung the covers back, “Well we can’t have that now can we?  We can do engaged for a bit.  Besides, we really do need to get back and officially 'put our family together' as Coulson says.”

“What?”

She smiled, “Coulson went ahead and bought a monkey for us to raise when we got back.”

Fitz face fell, “Are you telling me I’ve spent the last five weeks in Scotland with the likes of you when I could’ve had my very own monkey!?”

She narrowed her eyes playfully, “That is exactly what I’m saying.”

“Oh, I’m going to make the rest of your life a living hell, Jemma Simmons.”

She shrugged and headed for the bathroom, “You’ve done a good job of it for the last decade.”

“Ha. Ha.  Wait, are you taking a shower?  Alone?”  He leaned on each side of the door frame.

She called back through the closed door, “Am I more important than the monkey?”

He thought for a moment, “Yes.”

“You hesitated!”

“I’m a scientist, Jemma!  I take every question seriously.”  He rested his head on the door.

She rolled her eyes, “I’ll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes.”

He exhaled loud enough for her to hear through the door and with the water running and she could have sworn she heard him mutter “that damn monkey” as he walked away.

She laughed at the sheer ridiculousness that was Fitz as she stepped into the hot shower.  Looking down at the ring on her hand, she smiled.  Her Fitz.

 

 

Screw the cosmos.


End file.
